Improvement in guns, pistols, and other fire-arms



BENTLEY & SLOCKER. Muzzle-loading Firearm.

Patented April 8. 1840.

N.PETER3. PHOTD-LITHOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON, D c,

Nirn STATES ATENT Fries.

IMPROVEMENT IN GUNS, PISTOLS, AND OTHER FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. L544, dated April 6, 1840.

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE STOOKER and JOSEPH BENTLEY, both of Birmingham, in the Kindom of Great Britain, guninakers, have invented certain Improvements in Guns, Pistols, and other Denominations of Fire-Arms; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

The nature of our improvements consists in forming an explosion-chamber within the breech or solid break-off of fire-arms having an external jointed cover thereto; likewise, in a new combination of mechanism for the locks of firearms, applicable to guns, pistols, rifles, &c.

In order that other persons skilled in the art of gun-making may be able to make and use our said invention, we proceed to describe its construction and operation in detail, with reference to the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents an external View of a fowling-piece possessing our improvements, part of the barrel and the stock being omitted for want of space. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of aportion of the same, bringing into View all the novel parts, the essential details of which are separately illustrated in Figs. 8 to 12. Thus Fig. 3 repre sents a side View, and Fig. i a plan, of the lock. Fig. 5 is the cocking-lever; Fig. 6, a trigger; Fig. 7, a side view of the lock and trigger-plate. Fig. 8 is a connecting-piece, hereinafter explained. Fig. 9 is an end View, and Fig. 10 a plan, of the breech. Fig. 11 is an end view of the break-off, and 12 an elevation of the same.

The same letters of reference,wherever they occur, indicate the same parts.

At a is the stock, b the barrel, and c the breech screwed thereto. (1 is the break-off, which fits into thebreech; e,the nipple screwed into the breech; f, a piston or striker acting horizontally against the percussioncap in the explosion-chamber 2,- g, the cocking-lever, the upper extremity of which is shaped to receive the looped end of the striker. This cockinglever is shown as uncooked, or as if the gun had just been discharged. In order to cook it, the piece 9 is to be pushed forward or toward the muzzle by the thumb when it takes the position (at full cock) SllOWlLlll Fig. 3. It should be observed that this cocking-lever acts also as a tumbler at At h is a swivel-lever jointed to the cocking-lever and hooked to the mainspring i, which thus becomes compressed by cocking, as shown in Fig. 3, and causes, it when liberated by the trigger j, to exert its elastic force (through the medium of the cocking-lever) on the striker f. The lower limb of the main spring i also acts as an ordinary sear-spring upon the trigger, as indicated in the drawings.

At k is a small hooked piece provided with a short projecting pin, which enters a hole in the doubled end of the mainspring, which is thus prevented from moving either upward or sidewise. Zis the lock and trigger plate, (shown separately in Fig. 7,) through which there is an opening, as shown in Fig. 2 and 4, to let in the trigger, the cocking-lever, and tumbler, which work on pins m m, that go through them.

Atn is a connecting-piece, (separately shown in Fig. 8,) which is screwed between the fork of the triggenplate, and has a tapped hole on its upper side for receiving the breech-pin 0.

This breeclrpin binds the parts of the gun together by screwing the trigger-plate Z (which is also the lock-plate) to the break-off d, thus making the stock as strong as' though two plates were screwed to it. pisthe guard-pin, which screws the trigger-plate to the breakoff. q is the back-end pin, also connecting the lastmentioned parts together. 1' is the guard, which incloscs the cocking-lever and the trigger.

It has already been noticed that a peculiar feature in this improved fire-arm consists in making within the breech an explosion-chamber. For the more exact illustration of this part we have given separate figures of the same, Fig. 9 representing an end view, and Fig. 10 a plan, of the breech, havingthe lid or cover S open, as when the percussion-caps are being put on. This lid has a hinge-joint at z and a thumb-piece at u for opening it. WVhen shut down,it is held sufiiciently fast in itsplace by a small spring and stud at c, the latter entering a suitably-formed catch-hole, 10, made in the lid. To the lid is also formed a divis ion-plate, 00, (having a hole through it for the honizontal striker to pass,) which plate,when the lid is closed, separates the explosion-chamber z from the other part, y,of the same cavity.

. bridle when out of the gun.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that our explosion chamber may be formed in the break-off piece (instead of the breech) by sufficiently extending the length of its solid part. Such a modification, therefore, we consider to come within the limits of our invention.

It is our intention to apply to double guns our explosionchambers,which should be made straight across both the breeches (or breakoffs, as the case may be) and a nipple screwed into each breech. One cover only is used to cover both breeches, (or break-offs) and by placing the ordinary back-work gun-locks on the sides, with pieces left projecting on that part of the tumbler which bears against the top leg of the These projecting pieces are made to move the striker,with them, which are made the same as in the fowlingpiece before described. Single guns and rifles may also be made in this manner.

Ve desire it to be understood that we do not claim all the parts which we have described in the foregoing; but

What we do claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following, namely:

1. The manner in which we construct the explosion-chamber within the breech of fire arms, or within the break-off, as set forth.

2. The manner of constructing and arranging the cocking-lever with its lower end within the guard, said lever being combined with the other parts of the lock, as described.

3. The manner of connecting the brealcoff and the cock and trigger plates by means of the screw, the connecting-piece n, and its appendages, substantially as set forth.

GEO. STOGKER. JOSE-PH BENTLEY.

W'itnesses:

LUKE HEBERT, CHARLES STONE. 

